Legal Theory in Colonial India and Mandatory Palestine

Our upcoming lecture of the Frankfurter Rechtshistorische Abendgespräche will focus on a central but often overlooked aspect of the history and theory of law:  The development of legal theory in colonial India and Mandatory Palestine. The lecture will take place at our Institute on 24 April 2024, from 18:15 to 19:45.

Assaf Likhovski (Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law) will examine the work of scholars who, through their studies of Hindu and Jewish law, have made important contributions to our understanding of the nature of law and its historical development. These contributions challenge the Eurocentric focus prevalent in current narratives of the history of modern legal theory and offer a broader perspective on the global development of legal thought.

His work not only fills a critical gap in our understanding of the development of legal theory, but also links it to ongoing cultural and political debates. It highlights early efforts by non-Western scholars to integrate Western liberal legal concepts with non-Western religious legal norms and values.

The lecture will be of interest to scholars interested in the history and theory of law and the interaction between different legal cultures. It promises to go beyond the traditional Eurocentric perspective and provide insights into the global development of legal theory.